I'm going to get straight to the point. If you've ever said "these kids CAN'T" or "these kids aren't capable of...", you're a teaching bigot. Let me unpack that.
If you are ill prepared to actually teach, if you don't really have a clear set of classroom procedures to lower the ambiguity and anxiety of how you're grading students, then yes, you're a teaching bigot.
I have to be honest, this week was a VERY tough one for me. During the rare moments when I've had free time, I find myself thinking about the lack of learning that's occurring in classrooms today. I think about teachers who don't even bother to clean their classrooms, to check and return papers, or to even post the date and the standard on the board. I know teachers get burned out, I know teachers get frustrated, but if your classroom is filfthy, you have stacks of student work from the beginning of the school year, and you don't have some sort of direct instruction going on, than you aren't expecting much from your students.
I get so burned up that people like this are even allowed to continue to be teachers.
If you've read my previous postings, you know I love to ask questions in an attempt to get your wheels turning so you can process the actual message I'm trying to deliver.
So let's get started:
1. Are you using formal academic language with your students in the classroom?
Other than vocabulary words, do students hear you using academic discourse? One of the WORST mistakes teachers who teach in high minority or low income areas make is to use slang in the classroom to create a connection with the students. You do realize that students spend more time in school than they do at home? That being said, students rarely get a chance to utilize formal language at home. Because of this, you are the teacher AND the role model when it comes to the utilization of language that students will need in order to be successful outside of their environments of origin. When a teacher (professional) uses informal language in the classroom with his or her students, you are inadvertently teaching your students that it is okay and acceptable for professionals to speak this way. You and I both have enough life experience to know this is VERY untrue. I've heard the counter argument before: you need to speak in a way that your students will understand: NO YOU DON'T. What you need to do is show students that formal language is something that people of all backgrounds can use effectively. Let me be more blunt. I've heard Black and Brown students say "Black people don't do that!" or "Mexican people don't do that!" SO very untrue. We need to teach students that you can be deeply rooted in your ethnicity and not be limited by it. Students need to know that intellect comes in Black and Brown. If you're not a Black or Brown teacher, your students need to know that non Black or Brown teachers have high expectations of their students and will not tolerate nor compromise those high expectations of formal discourse because of a student's background. Ever!
2. Are your expectations clearly stated?
Is your classroom the well oiled machine it should be? Do your students know the set of procedures that occur when your class begins? Students should ALWAYS be greeted at the door by their teacher (there are exceptions to this, believe me, when I was pregnant while teaching, there were times I just couldn't stand there.) After being greeted at the door, students should walk into the classroom and have a routine. By routine I mean they should know that they will ALWAYS have some type of warm up activity (this helps you with classroom management). After the warm up activity, you can keep accountability of learning up by making sure you review the warm up activity. There are several ways to engage students in this. I once had a teacher, who after a not so good evaluation, say to me "so you want me to do 'more' work by grading all the warmups?" Wow, no wonder his class was in the shape its in when I saw it. After the warm up activity, students should know that the objective and agenda will be explained to them and the day's activity will be connected to a standard and relevance to their lives.
3. Do you use phrases that encourage mediocrity in your students?
I 100% cannot stand when teachers encourage students to take the easy way out. By saying things like "it would be too difficult" or "just do this" you are encouraging the average laziness of teenagers. As adults, we all know that you truly have to work hard to reap the benefits some kind of career. Why would not encourage your students to do their very best. You are stifling their intellect. That is counter to what our profession is all about. If you do this, maybe you're taking the easy way out.
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